Push and Pull: The External Dance
by kissedbynight
Summary: Set right after the end of Book one. It is a what if story. Basically it starts out as an average kidnap Katara and escape plot-but I promise it will get better. K for now-will change as we progress. main pairing: Zutara. Potential for Tang and Sukka


**All right, so it has been a very long time since I have watched Avatar: the Last Air Bender…then I discovered the kids section on Netflix's and needless to say I am re-caught up. Anyways, first story from this section let me know if I should keep it up or leave it be (It honestly could go both ways).**

**I don't own the sand box, just the shovel and pail (other wise known as I don't own it)**

**Rough copy final word copy: 1,112**

**Final copy (before A/N: 2,015**

**Posted at 1:20am, Sunday September 6th, 2014**

**p.s the Italics unless indicated otherwise are all ****lessons Zuko has learned since being banished.**

**Zuko:**

They watched in horror as the fire ball was hurling closer and closer to that stupid fish-as if they were frozen in time before their would was consumed by darkness.

My uncles rage filled war cry matched the fireballs that blasted from his hands and feet while the fish floated up to the surface. His actions gave me enough cover so I could escape from these so-called warriors. They foolishly used rope to bind him; him a fire bender-how foolish can they be; rope no matter how good the quality is, still burned. Controlling my inner fire to let the flame escape through my wrists rather then through my fists. Letting the singed rope to the ground I looked over my shoulder to see how my uncle was fairing-yet instead of my uncle I saw, it was the water bender from earlier. It seems she was the only one who took notice of the amber glow my fire from burning the bindings.

Her expression could match that of any flame- wild and dangerous with an unquenchable rage. She was at huge disadvantage with the moon gone so was her bending, yet she was taking a fighting stance. I had to hand it to her, for someone who mastered water bending in such a brief amount of time it was stupendous. Yet no matter how impressive that feat was, there was no way she could master fighting in the same amount of time.

I took my stance-I had no patience or time to spare for a simple little girl from a southern fishing tribe. Narrowing my eyes I sent a swift kick of fire in her direction only to have her eyes widen as she dove off to the side. She fell hard, her head bouncing against a rock. There was no cry of pain, no movement, no nothing just a steady stream of blood flowing downs the side of the rock under her head.

Watching the blood flow I could help but think this is a good thing. This is one less enemy stopping me from my destiny, one less threat on the battlefield, and one less water bender to threaten the fire nation army. Kneeling beside her I pressed two fingers against her neck and sighed heavily; this is not good.

Looking behind me I noticed her friends, family and my uncle were all bend over that stupid fish and holding onto one another. If I leave her here this head wound kill her before they even look her way. Groaning I look back at her still form and flung her as gently as I could over my shoulder and ran as fast as I could with this added weight towards the sea.

She's heavy and slowing me down; if I had the mind of my father or sister I would have left her behind and let her die. But no, my Uncles weak mind as leaked into mine over these past three years-all I need to do now is find someplace where her people would find her and let them deal with her. I stop on a bridge and look around-fire as consumed what once was a city-its citizens fled towards its castle-but there might be a few stragglers among them-maybe if I leave her here they will notice and bring her back. Look in front of me I could see my shadow-which should be there with the moon no longer there. Turning around he saw a giant blue glowing light. Blue light. Blue fire. Azula. It has to be her; no one else I know can conjure the blue flame.

Father must have sent her to avenge my death or to finish the task that he bestowed on me-to capture the Avatar. Yet my thought ended the closer the blue light got-it was no daughter of fire, just an angry spirit fish. A spirit fish that is out for vengeance and is currently heading towards the Fire Nation navel vessels the only things that can get him off this frozen wasteland. Sifting the girl in my arms I start moving closer to the "beaches"-this girl might be valuable later on once her friends discover her missing. Lets just hope she lives long enough to prove her worth.

_I must think of all possibilities not just the easy way out._

The bridge I crossed to get here is just around this corner-then it's a straight jog to the lifeboats and I can get off this forsaken place. I am almost out of this mess-just one more bridge.

I stopped dead in my tracks as my eyes narrowed in on Admiral Zhao. The man that stole the majority of my crew then killed the rest when he blew my ship up in attempts to murder me; the man who broke thousands of years of tradition by breaking the rules of Agni-Kia, by attacking his opponent when his back was turned. There he was, standing in all his glory with a look of pride as he starred at the black empty night sky knowing that he was the one that killed the moon and permanently removed every water bender threat.

My skinned burned as the fire within raged with hatred. How dare he stand there with pride knowing that he killed the Fire Lords first born and stole his destiny? How dare he? He has abused his power as admiral; he has abused the status among his troops. He had no right to command anything or any one.

The blue glow was coming back flowing up river like a tidal wave yet Zhao made no move. That is, until it was too late. He was trapped in the grips of the spirit and no matter how much he struggled it was all in vain.

_Always be vigilant; the enemy will strike you down regardless which way your back is turned._

I stepped over to the edge of the bridge and watched. I watched as he struggled to escape the fish's hold. I watched as he looked me in the eye-watched as he realized he died a failure. I watched as the moon glowed in full force in the dying mans eyes.

In all the chaos that followed the spirits attack and the returned of the moon soldiers running here there and everywhere, fire and water every where you turned but I had to get to those boats. I just had to.

Hidden by a waters benders ice attack was a small life raft-it wasn't much but it would work until they found a ship or land whichever came first. Kneeling down I carefully placed the limp body in the raft and pushed us off, jumping in during the last minute. Once we found a steady current I leaned over the girl and grabbed her hands and bound them in front of her around her wrists and elbows.

_Things hidden from view will never do you any good._

If I don't bind her who knows who she could hurt, or what she could do when she is surrounded by her element and who knows what she could do, all I know is that it would not bowel well for my uncle or me.

The current so far as kept us away from shore and hasn't dragged us out to see which was good because I have yet to find my Uncle. Paddling against the current I was able to keep us from getting to far along the coast. But when I found my uncle I was nearly tempted to leave him behind. There he was walking side by side by the two young men the girl laying at my feet travels with, the fishing warrior and the Avatar. How dare he-he knows how much the Avatar means to me, how much my destiny depends on his capture. The Avatar should be at my feet not this worthless water tribe peasant.

Shooting a fireball into the air to signal our location isn't smart in a war zone but it is necessary to get fat tea bellied old man moving. I don't need to stay in this freezing hell longer then needed. What is worse is I don't know if they know I have her-and the last thing I need is to be left for dead at see because of an Air benders rage and a fisher mans anger.

Iroh seemed to get the message though-no matter how dangerous sending it was, watching him bow his head to the enemy made me cringe a little. How can you respect someone you are meant to be hunting?

I saw my uncle step into the freezing water toe first before he dove in and swam out towards the boat. For an old man he was still fit enough to lead an army-and he would still be doing so had he not followed me into exile. Seeing his little grey topknot poke up beside the boat I automatically reach my hand out for him and help him on to the boat. He may be physically fit, but he is not light and could very well flip us if he tried getting on wrong, and as much as I love my uncle, I would not want to be stranded with a dead to the world girl and no rations.

"Oh nephew, I don't remember the water being that cold," he plugged his nose and heated his inner fire-using it to rid the cold and the chill-thus is why his body was now steaming off the bitter cold, "Ahhh, much better. Now Prince Zuko, mind telling me who your lovely new lady friend is?

Looking down at the at the mocha skinned girl at my feet, the blood dried on her hair and face-her face oddly enough did not match. There was no scares, no evidence of turmoil-just rest and peace as if she was sleep.

"She is nothing but insurance to get off to land and the ticket to the avatar. I have a feeling he is very close to his friends-a weakness to have."

Looking beyond my uncle I continued to paddle with the current to get us out to open water before the Avatar missed his friend. Besides I couldn't look at my uncle, knowing the look he would give me. A look twisted with sorrow and disappointment along with worry. It was a look he was shared a lot with me over the past three years a look that still stings every time I see it.

"Well, Zuko give me something to bind that wound of hers up with, seeing as you believe she is valuable, I would assume she would be a higher cost alive."

Pulling in the paddle's I give my uncle a cold glare and love to the other side of the small raft before I lie down and close my eyes, "Do whatever you want Uncle, I am tired." With that I closed my eyes and let sleep over come me.

~Dream~

_"Prince Zuko, long have I awaited this day. After three long years I have you back home. My son, my first born-my rightful heir."_

_I bowed before my fathers throne, his words seeing waves of acceptance and love into my soul yet I dare not show them-for that would be a sign of emotion-a weakness._

_"Yet my son, you come home with no Avatar and no honor. So why you disgrace me with your presence is a wonder. I banished you with a task that you had to complete before I would ever allow you to bow at my feet again. And yet you come back here empty handed and expect your place beside me. Or are you here for another reason my son? Are you here to challenge me-again-are you so eager to have a matching set?"_

_"Father please-forgive me-father no-"_

~Reality~

I woke to the sound of screaming-I do not know if it were mine or not. All I know is that when I opened my eyes I was staring into the eyes of a new storm-the young peasant girl.


End file.
